The Dietrich College Study/Travel Abroad Grant Program
The Dietrich College Study/Travel Abroad Grant Program was established encourage undergraduate students to pursue meaningful opportunities abroad by making them more financially accessible.
The program provides support for both traditional study abroad programs and for non-study abroad experiences such as service learning opportunities, internships, research and conference travel.
Grants are available for both individual students and groups of students who meet the program’s eligibility requirements.
Students applying for support from the Dietrich College Study/Travel Grant Program are expected to also apply for all other funding sources for which they are eligible. Your OIE advisor will help identify such sources for you as part of the Dietrich grant application process.
Your OIE study abroad advisor can help you identify other sources of funding.
Eligibility
Which students are eligible?
The Dietrich College Study/Travel Abroad Grant is availble to students who meet the following requirements:
- undergraduates who are registered as a primary major in a Dietrich College major program or enrolled in the Bachelor of Humanities and Arts (BHA) program
- in good academic standing
- accepted by the program abroad for which grant support is requested
Preference is given to:
- current (or rising) sophomores and juniors
- students with high financial need
- students who have not had a meaningful study or travel abroad experience
- students who have not received prior funding from the university for study or travel abroad
Which students are not eligible?
- graduate students
- on leave of absence from the university at the time of application or during the proposed study or travel abroad period
- seeking grant support for a period during their first CMU semester, or for any portion of a time period after they graduate
What study or travel abroad programs are eligible?
To be eligible for one of these grants, programs must:
- demonstrably support students’ academic, personal and career goals and development
- NOT involve locations where the U.S. State Department has a Level 3 or Level 4 Travel Advisory in effect. In cases where a Level 3 Travel Advisory is location-specific within a country, support requests will be reviewed by the university on a case-by-case basis. View the Office of International Education’s practice statement for additional details.
How to Apply
Before you begin your application, meet with your OIE study abroad advisor.
During this meeting, your advisor will confirm your eligibility for the Dietrich Study/Travel Abroad Grant and point out your eligibility for other potential funding sources. Your advisor will also help you articulate your learning objectives for your proposed program abroad, review your resume, assist you in compiling projected program expenses, and offer help as needed with the rest of the grant application process.
Completed applications and supporting documentation should be submitted to dietrichdean@andrew.cmu.edu.
Applications will be reviewed only when all required materials have been submitted and until available college scholarship funds have been committed.
Application Deadlines, Decisions and Notifications
While applications are rolling, they are also governed by the following deadlines:
Funding for a program abroad during |
Application deadline |
|
Fall Semester |
April 1 |
|
Spring Semester |
November 1 |
|
Winter Break |
November 1 |
|
Spring Break |
February 1 |
|
Summer |
April 1 |
Completed applications will generally be reviewed on a bi-weekly basis until June 30, or until all funds for the current cycle have been distributed (whichever comes first).
Other Student Responsibilities
If selected to receive a grant, you will be required to:
- Attend an OIE pre-departure orientation session, and complete all complete all e-forms in the CMU Study Abroad Portal. Funds will not be distributed before these requirements are satisfied.
- After completion of your program:
- Meet with your study abroad advisor to identify skills acquired or enhanced through your experience abroad and update your resume to reflect these skills.
- Complete a program questionnaire and reflective essay about your experience abroad and how it affected your personal and career interests and goals. Submit your completed post-abroad questionnaire to dietrichdean@andrew.cmu.edu.
- Complete your plan for sharing your experience abroad with the Dietrich College/CMU community.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will applicants be notified?
Completed applications will generally be reviewed every two weeks, and applicants notified immediately thereafter via email.
What if I must respond to my program offer sooner than when I am likely to be notified about my grant application?
If your submitted application is complete, your deadline for responding to your program acceptance offer is sooner than when you are likely to receive a decision about your grant application, and your ability to accept the offer is contingent on whether or not you receive a grant, furnish this information where requested in the grant program application. We will make every effort to review and respond to your application soon enough for you to meet your response deadline.
Are there other scholarship grant programs that I could or should be considering?
Yes. Visit the OIE website for more details. This will also be a central topic of discussion in your required meeting with your study abroad advisor. Please know that the extent to which you follow through on applying for all sources of funding available to you will enhance your chances for funding through the Dietrich Study/Travel Abroad Grant Program.
What if I am unsure whether the program abroad for which I am seeking funding is a “study” abroad program, or a “non-study (travel)” abroad program? Which application would I use?
This will be clarified for you as part of the conversation that you have with your OIE study broad advisor as part of the first step in the grant application process.
Tax Information
Dietrich College Study/Travel Abroad funds can be used for a variety of educational purposes including tuition and fees, course related expenses such as required fees, books, supplies, and equipment, and other expenses related to the overseas experience. Some grants are deemed as “qualified” and are not taxable, while others are “non-qualified” and are therefore taxable. Individual grants may be qualified or non-qualified depending on various factors. For more information, refer to the IRS Publication 970 “Tax Benefits for Education” (www.irs.gov) and/or consult a qualified tax advisor or accountant. Representatives of Carnegie Mellon (including Dietrich college and the Office of International Education [OIE] cannot and will not provide tax advice.
NOTE: For U.S. tax residents, if a grant is deemed as “non-qualified” and therefore taxable, taxes will not be withheld from the payment; nor will Carnegie Mellon issue a tax statement (W-2 or 1099) to the recipient or the IRS for the payment. It is the student’s responsibility to include information about the grant funds on their personal income tax return.
Nonresident aliens (non-U.S. tax residents) may also be subject to tax withholding and reporting requirements.
Students should consult their personal tax advisor for additional information and advice, or if they have additional questions.